The Road Less Taken
by 100TenMillion
Summary: Heather has made the biggest mistake of her life: falling in love with a married man! Justin has lost the woman he loved to another man, but he now has a second chance at love. Can Justin stop Heather from making the biggest mistake of her life?
1. Chapter 1

The road less taken

Episode 1: A mistake

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Heather had no need, and no right, to fall for him. He was taken, he had already shared his vows with someone else. But Heather, she couldn't control how she felt about Alejandro Burromuerto, the man who married Courtney Hernandez just a year ago. She and Alejandro agreed to meet at the shopping district.

"So...you and your wife?" Heather bites her lip. She can't say what's on her mind.

"Man, my marriage is on the rocks..." Alejandro sighs. "I've got bills, my job is a hassle, and me and Courtney are just...drifting apart, you know?"

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Heather pats Alejandro on the shoulder.

"I mean...I'm just...I don't know what I'm gonna do..." Alejandro sighs. "I'm just so sick of waking up next to someone I...I just don't feel it anymore..."

Heather looks away. Alejandro buries his head in his hands.

"I mean, we started out fabulously, but now? She's always so busy..." Alejandro looks up to the sky. "I don't think I love her anymore..."

Heather gasps.

"Alejandro..." Heather starts trembling. It is now starting to snow.

"Heather...I made a mistake." Alejandro looks her in the eyes. "I never should have married her..."

"I know...I'm sorry..." Heather's lips tremble. She knows this is wrong...

"I really hate how my life is going..." Alejandro sighs. "Heather..."

Before he can say anything, Heather surprises him with a kiss on the lips. The two feel like a jolt of lightning is going through their bodies, and the conductor is their lips. Everything stops moving for them, time ceases to exist. There is only them, in a giant void in time and space, those two all alone in the Universe.

Heather slowly breaks the kiss, her eyes reflecting her confusion.

"Heather..." Alejandro's breath becomes heavier. He trembles with passion.

"Alejandro..." Heather slowly backs away from him. "I'm...sorry..."

Before he can say anything, Heather runs away from him. He calls out to her, to no avail...

Meanwhile...

"So...you're married?" Justin tries his best to fake being happy for the woman he loved, Courtney.

"Just last year." Courtney smiles sweetly at Justin. "Alejandro makes me happy."

"Yeah, I know." Justin answered just a little too quickly. "I'm happy for you."

"I know you are." Courtney sighs. "Thanks..."

"Juts...you know." Justin half heartedly chuckles. "Surprising, you know? I mean, I was out of town for a while..."

"I've been married a year." Courtney sits down on the swing next to Justin. It is now starting to snow.

"Yeah...yeah I mean, that's good." Justin smiles, but his eyes reflect sadness. He sits down next to her. "I...I'm happy for you."

"You don't sound very happy." Courtney's eyes are full of sadness.

"Well...It's...kind of complicated..." Justin sighs. "It doesn't matter, OK? I'm just happy you're happy."

"I didn't mean to hurt you..." Courtney sighs. "I mean, I know sometimes I can be..."

"No, don't apologize, Courtney, please." Justin looks up at her. "Just be happy, OK?"

"I am. I mean, sometimes I'm so busy with work, but Alejandro is so supportive." Courtney wistfully sighs. "He stands by me. Any other man would have left me by now..."

"I wouldn't...I mean, I wouldn't worry about that." Justin looks away. "You have a terrific husband, Courtney...I mean it."

"Justin...I know how you feel about me." Courtney gets up. "I'm flattered...but you need to move on. I'm happy, and I want you to be too."

"I'll try." Justin gets up as well and walks away from Courtney. "Have a nice night, Courtney."

"Justin!" Courtney yells out at him. "Plenty of fish in the sea! I'm not the only woman in the world! The right one for you is out there!"

"Sure thing!" Justin gives her a thumbs up as he walks away. He spends a whole half hour walking under the snow. Stnading below a lamp post, shivering in the cold, he sighs. "But none of them will be like you...I don't know if...I should have stayed..."

Justin walks towards the pier. He sees a figure standing alone, looking at the water. As he walks closer, he sees that the figure is a woman with long, flowing hair. Suddenly, he recognizes her. "Heather?"

"Justin...?" Heather gasps. "I thought you left town forever!"

"I came back..." Justin sighs. "My heart...never mind."

"Hey..." Heather places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We missed you."

"I thought if I left, I'd be able to find what I wanted in life." Justin sighs. "When I finally realized it, I was too late."

"I'm sorry..." Heather sighs.

"What about you? What's got you so down?" Justin looks at Heather. His breath is taken away by her raven black hair flowing freely in the wind, the gentle snow slowly falling onto her milky white skin, and her almond shaped eyes reflecting such sadness. It is her eyes that have gotten his attention so much.

"I'd rather not talk about it..." Heather tightens her coat for warmth.

"Hey, let's get out of here, this snow is getting heavier." Justin offers Heather a hand. "Mind if I walk you home? It's not safe to be out alone at night."

"Sure..." Heather and Justin walk under the snow for a good fifteen minutes. Heather suddenly stops. "I...I think...Justin? I think...Uh...how would you like to go out for a coffee sometime? Catch up to what you've been doing all year while you were away?"

Justin sighs. He thinks about what Courtney told him. "Sure...anytime...How about we call each other and set up a date and time?"

"Sure.." Heather gives Justin her cell phone number. She smiles as she watches Justin mark it down and save it on his phone. "Well...I gotta get going home now, I don't live too far from here. Hey Justin? It's good to see you again."

"Likewise Heather." Justin smiles as he watches Heather walk away. He starts walking towards the motel he was staying in. He enters his room, takes off his jacket, and sits down on the bed. "Plenty of fish in the sea...Maybe I should move on..."

Meanwhile...

Courtney sighs. She enters the apartment she shares with her husband. "Honey, I'm home..."

Courtney takes off her coat. She walks towards her bedroom, where she finds her husband already half asleep. "Tough day, sweetie?"

"Yeah..." Alejandro sighs.

"Want to talk about it?" Courtney takes off her sweater, revealing the tank top she was wearing udnerneath.

"No...I just want to chill..." Alejandro sighs, turning his back to his undressing wife. He takes out his cellphone and sends someone a text message...

Heather arrives at her apartment. She takes off her coat when suddenly she hears her cellphone beeping. She picks it up. "A text...from Alejandro?"

Her heart races with excitement, but her fingers tremble with doubt. Should she see what he says? She opens up the text. It reads: "I can't get you out of my mind."

Heather almost falls to her couch upon reading the text. Another one arrives. She opens it. It reads: "Can I see you tomorrow?"

Heather trembles. Her throat is dry, her eyes darting back and forth. She thinks everything over. She texts back: "Okay, how about a coffee at 5?"

She sends the text. She drops herself on the couch, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest...


	2. Chapter 2

The Road Less Taken

Episode 2: So close to an epiphany

"Yes, I know..." Courtney rubs her head. It is 7:15 AM, and already she is beeing hassled by calls from her office. "Yes...the Biederman case...no, no, that's not good..."

Alejandro sighs while watching this scene. Everyday, Courtney would get a call from the office while they were together. Alejandro ate his toast in silence, watching Courtney pace back and forth.

"Right now? But..." Courtney grits her teeth, her fist tightening. "But I'm with...I'm...fine...I'm on my way..."

Courtney slowly closes her cellphone. She grabs her coat. "Alejandro? I'm sorry...the office..."

"It's fine. Have a good day." Alejandro waves her goodbye. As soon as she's gone, he sighs. "Every fucking day..."

Courtney hurries to her car. It is snowing once more. She opens her car and sits down on the driver's seat. She stares at the ignition. She takes out her keys. She starts the car, turns the radio up as loud as she can and screams her lungs out. "GOD DAMN IT!"

Alejandro sighs, digs into his pockets, then takes out his phone. He glances at Heather's number. He stares at her number a while. "You're the one who understands me, Heather..."

It is now 8:19 AM, and Heather is eating her breakfast. She sighs, butterflies in her stomach as she thinks about yesterday's kiss...

The time is 9:11 AM, and Justin is now waking up. He yawns, he stretches and then gets up. He rubs his eyes as he makes his way towards the shower. He takes off his clothing and steps into the shower.

"Courtney..." Justin sighs to himself. "I keep trying to tell myself you're right. I told myself that all night long. I even started believing it after a while."

Justin turns the shower on. "Plenty of fish in the sea... But are they like you?"

"Who is like you, Courtney? Who has your smile? Who has your laugh?" Justin's tears fall down his face alongside the warm water. "Who else makes a guy feel like he can take on the world? Who else can make me feel like I'm actually worth something? Who else in the world can make me smile like you did...?"

Justin closed his eyes, thinking about that fateful day...

"_Justin..." Courtney sighs. "I think...it's not working out for me..."_

"_But..." Justin's jaw drops._

"_Look...I just...I've been struggling with my own feelings for a while.." Courtney rubs her eyes. Tears are forming in them. "I...I only see you as a friend these days..."_

"I know it's been three years..." Justin turns off the shower. "But it still feels like only yesterday, you and I were together..."

"You were the most important person in my life, Courtney. When you said what you said, I was devastated." Justin finishes brushing his teeth. "I never stopped loving you..."

"But you're right...You're happy now." Justin puts his clothes on. "You don't need me in your life anymore...I'm sorry to have to admit that to myself. But, you are happy now. I am happy for you, Courtney. I hate that I'm not the one making you happy, but what matters to me most is you..."

Justin steps outside, the cold winter air blowing on his face. "I will move on...It will be hard...But I don't have much choice..."

Meanwhile...

"I know what I'm doing is wrong..." Heather sighs. She has taken the day off today, in hopes of clearing her mind. "I know I've messed up before..."

"He's married. I have no right to him, no right to anything with him save for a friendship." Heather is cleaning her dishes. "I know that I should not call him. I know he's at work. I know that, as soon as he gets off from work, he will go back to his wife."

"I know that what I want is a bad thing. I know I'm just being stupid. Meeting up for coffee...what a joke. He'll cancel in two hours, just you watch." Heather dries her hands using a towel. "What a funny joke...What the hell makes me think that he'll call me at all? What the hell makes me think that he wants to meet up with me? And even if he did, he'd most likely just want to complain about his home life some more."

"So..." Heather bites her lip as she stares at Alejandro's phone number. "Why am I so nervous about this? Why do I want him to call me, if I know it won't be right if he did?"

The phoen rings. Heather gasps, it's him. She hesitates for a while, but she takes the call. "Hello?"

"Heather?" Alejandro's voice sounds somewhat relieved. "Hey...look, about our, uh...meeting..."

Heather gulps. Here it comes. "Yeah?"

Alejandro hesitates a bit. "We still on?"

She should tell him no! She should tell him to never call her again! She should tell him to get bent! She should tell him she has too much self respect to even consider meeting with someone she loves yet knows she can't have! She should tell him she doesn't date married men!

But she doesn't.

"Sure, Alejandro." Heather breathes in deep. "Five, right?"

"Yeah...see you then..." Alejandro hangs up the phone.

"What...am I doing?" Heather starts breathing heavily. "This...I..."

"I like Alejandro. I like him a lot. I can't get him off my mind..." Heather sits down on her couch. "Is this ok? Is this ok for me to do?"

"Alejandro...why the hell did I kiss him for?" Heather stares at her phone. "I need to...should I cancel?"

Heather gets up from her couch. It is now 3 PM.

"I think...so long as I don't kiss him again...I won't be doing anything wrong..." Heather nervously starts applying her lipstick. "I'm not doing anything bad here...we're both adults, we know what we're doing...I like him, maybe he likes me...his wife doesn't pay attention to him anymore...maybe he'll leave her..."

Heather looks at herself in the mirror. She starts breathing heavily again. She closes her eyes. The phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey...Heather?" Justin's voice sounds nervous. "Hey...I uh...I was thinking, maybe...you'd like to..."

"Hey, Justin? Could I call you later?" Heather sighs. "I'm afraid now isn't a good time..."

"Oh...that's ok. Sorry." Justin hangs up the phone.

Justin sighs. "I should have known...There's no way I'll ever find a girl like Courtney ever again...plenty of fish in the sea, but none like her..."


	3. Chapter 3

The Road Less Taken

Episode 3: Coffee

"It's not my fault." Alejandro sighs as he types away at his computer. "It's not my fault my marriage is falling apart. It's not my fault at all."

"It's not my fault she chooses her job over me." Alejandro presses 'print'. "It's not my fault she always leaves in a hurry to get to that damn job she loves so much. It's not my fault at all."

"It's not my damn fault she can't even eat without attending to her job." Alejandro walks towards his boss' office. "It's not my fault she can't be ten minutes without having her phone by her ear."

Alejandro hands his boss the documents. He exits the office and looks at his watch. It is 3 PM. "It's not my fault I feel like second place to her. It's not my fault she doesn't have time for me."

Suddenly, his phone rings. He answers. "Hello?"

"Hi hun..." it's Courtney. Her voice sounds tired. "I just wanted to hear your voice..."

"Hey...you OK?" Alejandro taps his fingers on his desk.

"No..." Courtney sighs. "I need to stay at the office, pull some overtime...This..."

"It's OK." Alejandro cuts her off. "No problem."

"I'm really sorry..." Courtney sniffs a bit. She hiccups. "I'm a little tired..."

"I know..." Alejandro sighs. "Don't worry about it. I'm gonna be a little late myself, I think."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Courtney sighs. "I'm...a little tired..."

"I know, but you always talk about how you want to climb ladders." Alejandro's voice sounds slightly vicious. He clears his throat. "Sorry, looking at some documents here."

"It's OK sweety..." Courtney sighs. He can't see it, but her eyes are red and poofy. "I just want to take a break is all...It's a lot of work..."

"I know..." Alejandro sighs. "Listen, speaking of a lot of work, I'm swamped. I'll call you later OK?"

"Wait, honey..." But by then he had already hung up. She closes her flip phone and stares down at the legal documents at her desk. There are some with stains from tear drops. "Shit..."

Courtney tries to dry off some of her papers. She bites her lip. She gets up and heads to the bathroom. She sits alone in the bathroom stall, silently weeping.

"It's not my fault." Alejandro types away at his computer. "It's Courtney's."

It is now 4:51 PM. Alejandro is waiting nervously at the cafe he had agreed to meet Heather in. She walks in, the cold winter wind blowing in, her milky white face shivering in the cold. Alejandro stands up and walks up to her.

"Wow...you're early." He smiles sheepishly.

"I know..." She smiles back. She follows him to the table he was using. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just got out of work you know." Alejandro smiles, his eyes wide with joy. "How was your day?"

"I took a day off. I needed to clear my head." Heather sighs. "I'm OK now, though."

"I hope you didn't upset your boss. I mean, what about...?"

"I had a couple of sick days accumulated. Don't worry." Heather smiles at him. He sheepishly smiles back.

"I wanted to talk to you, about yesterday..." Alejandro gulps.

"I'm sorry. I know..." Heather's fingers are trembling. "You're a married man..."

"I feel trapped, Heather. I don't think I want to stay married to her anymore." Alejandro sighs. Heather grabs his hands.

"Is it OK for you to be here with me?" Heather looks away, but does not let go of his hand. "I mean..."

"Do you like me?" Alejandro holds his breath.

Heather hesitates for half a minute. "Yes. A lot."

"Do you know what it's like? To go to bed next to someone you have no more feelings for?" Alejandro sighs. "To wake up next to that person if you're lucky, to wake up in an empty bed when you're not, because that person's already in a hurry to get to work?"

"I can't say I do..." Heather bites her lip.

"You have soft hands, Heather." Alejandro's breathing is getting heavier. "And...I have to confess...I've been thinking..."

"About?" Heather holds her breath.

"You..." Alejandro closes his eyes. "You've been on my mind all day. I'm sorry...I know it's wrong for a married man to do this, but...I just can't."

Heather is unable to say anything.

"Whenever we get together, I feel more relaxed. I forget about my problems, about everything that troubles me." Alejandro stares into her eyes. "And yesterday, when you kissed me, I felt something. I don't know about you, but I felt something..."

"I felt something too..." Heather's breathing is heavier. They lean in closer until their lips meet.

Meanwhile...

Justin is staring at the sky. It is snowing. "I wonder how Courtney is doing. Maybe..."

He takes out his cellphone. He bites his lip. Does he call her? Suddenly, his phone rings. He answers it.

"Hi..." It's Courtney. "Justin?"

"Courtney? How are you?" He gets up from the bench. "Everything OK?"

"I...yeah..." Courtney sighs. "I'm just a bit tired is all..."

"Wow...I'm sorry to hear that..." Justin gulps. "So...to what do I owe the pleasure of you calling me?"

"Oh...no real reason...I..." Courtney dries her tears, though obviously Justin can't see this. "Just wanted to hear a friendly voice."

"Oh...well, I do have a friendly voice." Justin smiles as he hears her light chuckling. "You sure you're OK?"

"Well...my job you know?" Courtney sighs once more. "Justin?"

"Yeah?" Justin shivers.

"Any luck finding a job?"

"Not yet..." Justin sighs.

"Don't give up. You'll find one soon enough." She smiles.

"Courtney?" Justin looks up at the sky. "Are you happy?"

"...Know what, Justin? At the moment, I'm just tired, you know?" Courtney hiccups. "But I haven't accumulated enough vacation days yet. And I can't quit, because Alejandro doesn't make enough to cover all our expenses."

"Courntey..." Justin frowns, his eyes reflecting sadness and pity.

"But it's worth it, because Alejandro is so supportive, you know? He never asks me to cook or clean when I come home, because he's already done that." Courtney wipes a tear from her eye. "I feel so lucky...And yet, I feel like I'm not being fair to him. We don't spend enough time together...Maybe I'm an obstacle to his happiness."

"Don't ever think like that again, Courtney. Because HE'S the lucky one." Justin breathes in. "He has you, and you are the most..."

"Justin? Please, don't say it. I'm married... But thank you..." Courtney's lips quiver. "Justin?"

"Yeah?"

"Please...don't leave me..." Courtney's tears fall down to the floor. "I'm sorry if it seems I'm using you...But I don't think I'd be able to go on if I ever lost your friendship."

Justin is silent. "I...can't help how I feel...But I promise you...I'll never stop caring about you."

They say their goodbyes. Justin hangs up his phone, staring at the snow on the ground.

Two hours pass. It is past nightfall, and Justin is walking along the streets. Suddenly, his phone rings.

"Justin?" It's Heather. "Sorry about earlier... I'm just a mess at the moment."

"What's wrong?"

"It's...kind of complicated." Heather sighs. "Actually, know what? It's VERY complicated."

"You want to talk about it?" Justin stops under a street light. "I'm all ears if you do."

"Actually...know what? I can't talk about it through the phone...but...if you'd like, maybe we can meet up someplace?"

"Sure, no problem." Justin smiles. "Just tell me the place and time."

"Well...if it's not too out of your way, I'm at a cafe named Edie's, located on..."

"Main Street, building 316?" Justin looks across the street.

"Yeah...how..."

"I'm on my way!" Justin crosses the street and enters Edie's...


	4. Chapter 4

The road less taken

Episode 4: Hesitance

"Hey..." Heather looks up at Justin. "Didn't expect you to come here so soon."

"Yeah, what a coincidence." Justin smiles sheepishly. "How are you?"

"Oh...fine..." Heather sighs. "Thank you for asking. Yourself?"

"Oh...I, uh, I...been better, to tell the truth." Justin shakes his head. "I haven't had a lot of luck lately."

"Job, huh?" Heather takes a sip of coffee. "Not that many today. Seems like, if you land one, it's more from luck than anything."

"I know..." Justin sighs. "Still sucks though. I don't have the money to go back to college. And even if I went back..."

"There's no guarantee you'll find anything..." Heather shakes her head. "I know the feeling. I feel like I lucked out with my job..."

"How long you had your job?" Justin leans back on his chair.

"Oh, I got it a little after you left..." Heather taps her cheek. "So yeah, few years back."

"Yeah...back then, everything seemed so bright..." Justin sighs. "Like everything was gonna be OK or something."

"I know. Thing's have gotten worse and worse." Heather sighs. "Maybe I shouldn't have taken a day off..."

"You took the day off?" Justin straightens his posture. "Feeling OK?"

"Actually...Justin?' Heather bites her lip. "Ever done something...you weren't sure was OK to do?"

"Huh?"

"Like, you want to do something, because your heart wants it...but your conscience says it's not OK to do it..." Heather stirrs her coffee. "Like, I don't know..."

"Heather? Are you sure you're OK?" Justin nervously taps his fingers on the table. "Seems to me like you've got a chip on your shoulders."

"I kind of do..." Heather starts fiddling with her hair a bit. "Hey...I...uh..."

"Want to talk about it?" Justin leans in closer to Heather, concern evident in his eyes.

"Actually...I...uh..." Heather starts shaking.

"If you don't think you're ready to talk about, you don't have to, you know." Justin sighs. "Or if you're uncomfortable talking to me about it..."

"It's not easy to talk about..." Heather drinks the rest of her coffee. "It's...actually really, really complicated."

"Oh..." Justin scratches the back of his neck.

"I thought I was ready to talk about it..." Heather sighs. She stares into her empty cup. "I guess not..."

"It's OK."

"I wasted your time...I'm sorry."

Justin chuckles. "Don't worry. This has been the highlight of my day."

"Wow...that's really sad when you think about it."

Justin sighs. "There have been sadder moments in my life."

"Really?" Heather looks up at Justin. "Like what?"

"Oh, you know...like the day I found out Courtney didn't love me anymore." Justin sighs then reclines back on his chair. "That was one of the worst days of my life."

Heather is speechless.

"Worst part? I'm still not entirely over her." Justin sighs despondently. "How can I? It's not easy to just abandon these feelings..."

"So...maybe you shouldn't..." Heather's hand trembles. "I mean, you never know when she'll be available again!"

Justin stares at Heather a minute. There is an uncomfortable silence, as if Justin is debating to himself wether she has a point or no.

Suddenly, he cracks a smile. "Yeah right. She's happy with her life. She has a man that loves her, she has a terrific job that gets her paid well. She's happy, Heather. Why would I want her to lose that, just so I could have her?"

"Maybe you could make her just as happy?" Heather bites her lip. "And, you know, you'd be happy too. Everyone would be happy...you should fight for her love!"

"She made her decision..." Justin sighs. "She decided I wasn't the one for her...someone else is. All I want her is to be happy. I love her, and because of that, I'm staying away. What I need to do is get over her and move on with my life."

Heather's eyes widen. She is speechless.

"It's not easy..." Justin looks around the cafe.

"Why do you love her?" Heather keeps her gaze unfocused and distant.

"Well...I used to be quite narcissistic. I was hot, I could have had any girl I wanted. Except Courtney...she wanted a man with depth." Justin smiles to himself. "I was so upset that I wasn't good enough for her...but I admired her more than any girl I ever met. So...I decided to try becoming the guy she wanted..."

Heather is attentive to the story.

"I slowly learned how inadequate I was. My eyes had been opened to who I really was. I was nothing more than a pretty face, a hollow person." Justin sighs. "I didn't like that. Not at all. I took a good, hard look at myself, and decided what I needed to do was get my act together. Suddenly, my thirst for self improvement became authetic. I wasn't just some kid trying to change for a girl. I was trying to become a better person for real."

"Wow..." Heather's eyes dart around.

"So, I finally manage to impress her..." Justin sighs contently. "The best six months of my life..."

"Then what happened?"

"...She broke up with me..." Justin looks downtrodden. "At the time I thought it was so sudden...It's why I left town, hoping for a fresh start."

"And then what?"

"Well...after a while, I started recognizing that there were warning signs all around." Justin sighs. "After three months, we started dating less and less. Everything was becoming so routine...We became one of those bored couples with nothing to talk about...nothing to share."

Heather gasps.

"I guess, in the end, I was too blind to recognize it." Justin sighs. "It wasn't sudden at all. She was unhappy for a while, but I was too engrossed in my own little world to pay any attention. She didn't stop loving me suddenly, she never loved me like that at all. I simply wasn't the right one for her."

Heather is speechless. She slumps on her seat.

"Wow..." Justin looks at Heather. "Saying it out loud...kind of helps..."

"Huh?"

"It took me over a year to come to that conclusion, but to say it out loud, it really helps me believe it." Justin smiles. "Wow..."

Heather smiles at Justin. "You'll find someone, I know it. You're a great guy..."

"Thanks." Justin blushes. "I owe it to her..."

Heather gets up, as does Justin.

"You know, maybe some relationships, though not meant to last, might be meant to happen, to help us become better people." Justin opens the door for Heather. She thanks him and walks outside.

"I think so too..." Heather looks at the snow on the ground. "I better get back home. Hey...we should hang out again."

"I'd love that." Justin smiles at Heather. She returns the smile. They go their separate ways, both still wearing their smiles...

It is 9:31 PM. Courtney finally arrives home. Her stomach growls. She walks towards the cabinet to get a pop tart when she notices a note stuck on the microwave oven door. It reads: _"Didn't know if you had dinner while you were out, so I cooked you some food. It's in the microwave, just heat it up- Alejandro"_

Courtney smiles. She heads to the bathroom and takes a quick shower. Putting on her bathrobe, she enters the bedroom to find her husband fast asleep.

"Thank you sweetie." She whispers to him as she heads back into the kitchen. After heating the meal and eating it. She lest out a yawn. She climbs back onto her bed, kisses her husband goodnight, and goes to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The Road Less Taken

Episode 5: Dignity

"Even though everything is hard right now, I'm doing my best." Courtney sighs as she reads up the report. "Right now, all I can do is my best."

Courtney walks up to the file cabinet, opens it and searches through the old files. She pulls out a folder marked 'Biederman'. She opens it, taking out a few documents. "Right now eveything is so demanding...My job is such a hastle, bills are piling up and I get less and less time with mu husband."

She reads up every document carefully. "But I can't back down now. No, that isn't me. I'm no quitter."

Using a Sharpie pen, she underlines several parts of the document. It is an expenses report. "I can't quit now, not for any reason. I can't back down. I won't back down."

"People are counting on me to do my job. I got this job after having worked so hard to get it, especially on this hard economy. I was chosen because I could do this, and I have no right to quit, no right to give up." Courtney places the documents back into the file. "I need to hold on. It's always blackest just before dawn. I need to keep the faith that the hardships I'm facing are only temporary, and that once I climb those ladders, I'll have time to be with Alejandro, the love of my life. Bless him...He's stood by me even though I've been neglecting him..."

Courtney walks up to her boss and hands her the files. Her boss, Kate Merryweather, is an older woman, seemingly in her late forties. A woman with a resolve of steel yet a heart of gold.

"Mrs Burromuerto, what are you bringing me?" Kate skims through the documents.

"The defendant, John Biederman, claims that on the weekend of June 28th he had gone to Sunset Arms Hotel for a business meeting. This is the hotel's record: He stayed in a room that had a King's sized bed, one fit for two. Now, here's the piece of evidence that's gonna win you the case." Courtney hands Kate anotehr document. "Says here he was visited by a Ms Coll at around the time of 2:15 PM."

"He claims Ms Coll is his business partner...ah..." Kate smirks. "Good job Courtney. I'm glad I have you to count on."

"Thank you, ma'am." Courtney turns around to walk out the office. Kate watches her, staring at her rear end.

"Uh, Courtney? Before you go..." Kate clears her throat. "Perhaps you and I could meet up later to discuss your future here with us, and don't worry, it's nothing bad."

Courtney can't believe what she just heard. "Uh...certainly..."

"Excellent, how about we meet at Friday, say 7 o'clock at Chez Paris?" Kate smiles at Courtney.

"Oh..." Courtney suddenly has an odd feeling in her stomach. "That's rather expensive..."

"It's on me." Kate smiles flirtatiously.

"Well...I'd have to tell my husband..." Courtney stammers.

"It's fine. He'll be ecstatic. Just tell me what you think." Kate smiles as she watches Courtney exit her office. Once she is gone, however, she frowns slightly. "Great, what the hell do you think you're doing, Kate? You're no adulteress..."

"Yes!" Courtney happily skips towards her desk. "I knew it! I knew if I held in there, I'd eventually climb those ladders!"

"Everything's looking up for me..." Courtney's smile does not dissapear as she dials her husband's cell phone number. "Oh, Alejandro wil be so happy..."

Meanwhile...

"So I'm thinking you and me could meet up sometime, you know, catch a flick?" Alejandro is speaking to Heather on his phone. "Great, how about this Friday? Awesome, see ya then hun."

As Alejandro closes his phone, it rings once more. He opens it. "Courtney? Ugh..."

"Hello?" Alejandro's smile dissapears. He looks annoyed. "Oh really? This Friday?"

Alejandro smirks. "I'm ecstatic! You're doing great hun, keep climbing those ladders. Oh? Sorry hun, I can't. I promised my friends I'd hang with them this Friday...Sure love. Luck? You don't need it. OK, bye."

Alejandro smirks as he closes his phone. "Super lucky."

Justin is at the library reading the employment ads. "Gee...sure aren't many jobs these days...Especially not many I can do..."

Suddenly his phone rings. He rushes outside to answer it. "Hello?"

"Justin! I need to tell you, it looks like I'm getting promoted soon!" Courtney almost squeals in delight as she says this.

"Awesome!" Justin smiles. "I knew it would happen soon enough!"

"I'm so excited! Oh my God, I better go, I'm still on the clock. Bye Justin!" She hangs up.

"What great news..." Justin can't stop smiling. Instead of walking back to the library, he opts to take a walk around town.

Heather sighs. Another day, another dollar as they say. She walks back towards her home. Though it had stopped snowing, the sidewalk was still somewhat slippery. She takes out her cellphone, looking at Alejandro's number.

"Shit...What would his wife say? Would she suspect anything?" Heather feels butterflies in her stomach. She keeps walking along the sidewalk rather carefully. "What the hell am I even doing..."

"I guess..." Heather stops in her tracks when she hears someone fall. She looks to her side and notices someone on the ground. "Justin!"

"Ouch!" Justin gets up slowly. "Man...nasty fall."

"Are you OK?" Heather gives Justin a hand. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine..." Justin dusts himself off. "I guess I wasn't paying attention."

"You sure you're not hurt?"

"I'm...ow!" Justin winces as Heather touches his shoulder.

"This looks bad...I'm taking you to a hospital!"

"No...I'm..." But Justin can't deny that his shoulder hurts like hell.

One trip to the hospital later...

"Ah..." Justin winces as the doctor patches up his shoulder.

"So...Mr Paliki, just rub this ointment on you for a three days and you'll be fine." The doctor hands him a prescription. "Also, stay off any strenous activity, you hear?"

'Thank you doc." Heather looks at Justin with concern.

"Are you two together?" The doctor smirks. "You two make one good looking couple..."

"No...no like that..." Heather blushes somewhat. "We're not REALLY, uh..."

"Uh..." Justin is embarrassed. "Anyway, I had better get going...thanks again doc."

Justin and Heather exit the clinic. Both still have a deep blush to them, far too embarrassed to bring up what just happened.

"You...gonna be OK?" Heather can not make eye contact. Suddenly, her phone rings. She looks at the number and suddenly grows pale in shock. "I...need to go now, this is a very important and private call. See you later OK?"

Heather walks away from Justin, enters an alleyway, then picks up her phone. "Alejandro?"

"Wife just called. Gonna pull ANOTHER late shift..." Alejandro sounds annoyed. "So...maybe I could treat you to dinner?"

"Ok..." Heather answered without thinking. "See you at..."

"I know a great diner." Alejandro smiles.

"Ok..." Heather smiles, yet her breating is a bit heavier than it should be. She closes her phone, breathes in, then rejoins Justin.

"Sorry...important call..." Heather suddenly finds herself unable to look at Justin in the eye.

"Everything OK?" Justin looks concerned.

"Sorry, something's come up...I need to go now..." Heather bids Justin farewell, hesitates for half a second, then runs off. Justin just stares at her, rubbing his shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

The Road Less Taken

Episode 6: A date

"I'm really glad we could eat dinner together tonight, Heather." Alejandro smiles at Heather, who smiles back at him. "I know it was kind of short notice, but..."

"Don't worry about it, Alejandro, I'm just happy to be with you." Heather looks into Alejandro's eyes.

"You know, if this was last month, I would have stayed at home just watching TV?" Alejandro chuckles. "It's like, wow, what a difference having someone to share makes, am I right?"

"I know." Heather sighs. "I've been alone a long time..."

"Huh?" Alejandro looks at Heather's hands. She is fidgeting. "What do you mean, querida?"

"I mean...I've been alone for a while now, you know?" Heather sighs. "Ever since college, actually."

"A beautiful woman such as yourself? Alone?" Alejandro snorts. "I don't believe it."

"It's true..." Heather twiddles her thumbs while she bites her lip. "It's...not a happy story."

"Well, how many happy stories are there in this world? I mean, look at me and Courtney. Seemed like a fairy tale, but there's no such thing..." Alejandro sighs. "Always busy..."

"I'm sorry." Heather sighs again. "I won't tell you my story, if that's OK."

"No no, please do."

"Well...you know how I was queen bee in high school?" Heather's eyes reflect nostalgia for days long past. "I thought I was top shit, that the world was gonna be mine to control..."

"But no sooner did I enter college, something hit me. NOTHING I was in High School mattered anymore. Popularity? I had like THREE people who knew me in college. In college, everything I had built up in High School turned out to amount to nothing. I was a big, fat nobody. I thought I could get away with using my charms and beauty, but it turned out that college nerds aren't like high school nerds at all. They had beer, and self esteem, and just the idea that a big Asian tease MIGHT date them wasn't good enough, no, they wanted sex too. I was disgusted by them, but at first I thought I had no choice. That was when I realized that here, I had no power. And it was impossible for me to have it, because I was not a part of ANY sorority. None would take me anyway." Heather's eyes start to tear up.

"I wasn't good enough for any sorority, but at least I shared an apartment with some people. One of them was some weird goth girl who always brought like one of seven different guys every night. She and I, in theory, shared a room. But she'd kick me out most of the time, saying she needed the privacy. I think I slept more often on the couch than I did in my own bed. My other room mate was some big, fat, obnoxious girl who apparently showered like once a week, if anything. She was so greasy, it often disgusted me. I never really talked to her a lot..." Heather sighs.

"I spent hundreds of nights staying up till 4 AM studying for my classes...I graduated with a 3.32 GPA." Heather half smiles. She brushes away a lock of her hair. "So much for the brainy Asian stereotype...all those nights..."

"I never once went to a party. I never once had a girl's night out. Never even went on a date. I was always so tired, I'd take my nights off just to sleep. There weren't many... I did get asked out, like once or twice, but...I don't know, it was always during the worst of times." Heather sighs.

"Well...the past is past." Alejandro smiles. "I'm interested in you, mi amor."

"Isn't it a little early for that?" Heather blushes. "After all, technically, this is our second date."

"Heather, before tonight, I was nothing more than a shell of a man, walking around aimlessly in a valley of shadows. But where once was darkness, you have brought light." Alejandro holds Heather's hand. "I know I want to keep seeing you."

"I want to keep seeing you too..." Heather smiles and blushes as she and Alejandro kiss passionately...

Meanwhile... 

"I wonder how Alejandro is doing..." Courtney sighs. Kate Merryweather looks at her with those steely eyes of hers.

"I'm sure he's fine..." Kate sighs. "Lucky you, having a husband. I'm still single, and hating it."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Yeah, I know I'm really, really lucky to have a man like Alejandro. He's everything a woman could ask for...charming, intelligent, passionate yet caring and tender." Courtney sighs. "You know what he said to me the night he proposed?"

"No..." Kate was unsure if she wished to hear it.

"He said 'Courtney, before I met you, I was a shell of a man, walking aimlessly in a valley of shadows. But where once was darkness, you have brought light'. I just about swooned when I heard that!" Courtney has a dreamy look in her eyes. "I almost fainted when he took out the box! I didn't even give him the chance to ask, I inmediately said yes!"

"Geesh...I guess I've seen one too many divorces...'He told me forever', 'He swore I was the only one', 'She was the woman I wanted to grow old with', 'I thought she was gonna be the mother of my children'..." Kate lets out a bitter sigh as she angrily keeps flipping through some documents. "You've heard one goo goo love story, you've heard them all..."

"Wow...must be hard..." Courtney looks away, sadness in her eyes.

"It's not that I don't believe in love, I do. It's that I just think that, with so many people hurting each other every day, that maybe the words 'I love you' ought not be thrown around so much..." Kate eyes the papers she was holding. They are some couple's pre-nup. "In the end, people need to keep an eye on their hearts. We only have one life to live, why waste it dealing with heart ache?"

Courtney can't say a word. She merely looks away, reading another pre-nup...

Meanwhile...

"Ah! Hurts like hell..."Justin rubs his shoulder. He sighs. "Shit...I wonder how Courtney's doing..."

He picks up his cell phone. He thinks for a while, then puts it away. "Justin...she's happy. Without you, OK? She has her husband, he loves her, she's over you. Move on."

Justin is face down on his bed. "Start dating other women...Maybe like Heather...?"


	7. Chapter 7

The Road Less Taken

Episode 7: Change of plans

"I know I don't usually ask anything from you, honey..." Courtney breathes in, not noticing the slightly annoyed look on Alejandro's face. "But I really, really need you to come with me to my dinner on Friday."

"What?" Alenjandro's face reflects anger. "But...I have plans!"

"I know, and I'm sorry, but I need you there with me!" Courtney looks pleadingly at her husband.

"Why? Why do I have to be there?" Alejandro extends his arms.

"Well, I just need a little support!"

"But I thought it was a sure thing!" Alejandro starts tapping his fingers on the counter. "You said..."

"Look, nothing is ever a sure thing." Courtney sighs. "And I could really, really use the support, OK?"

"I had plans..." Alejandro angrily looks away.

"I never really ask anything from you, just this one thing OK?"

"Fine, fine..." Alejandro throws his arms up in the air. "I'll cancel my other plans and go with you to that damn dinner..."

"Thanks." Courtney sighs, shaking her head. She leaves the kitchen and heads to the bathroom.

"Damn..." Alejandro takes out his cell phone and dials Heather's number...

Meanwhile...

"Maybe..." Justin sighs. He winces. "Ah, damn shoulder..."

"My life sucks. No matter how hard I try, nothing seems to change." Justin sighs. "I try, and I try. What the hell for? What's the use?"

"I'm not gonna find a job because there aren't any. I'm not gonna get a girlfriend, because I have no money. And I have no money because I have no job. And if I don't have any money, then what good am I?" Tears stream down his face. "What the hell do I have to offer anyone? I'm nobody..."

"A nobody, that's what I am. Worthless, a zero to the left. I can't get a job because no one needs me. And no one needs me because I can't get a job. I'm worthless, who the hell needs me?" Justin starts crying. "Who the hell cares about me? Who the hell would bother with me?"

"If I died today, who the hell would miss me?" Justin's tears stream liberally down his face, his eyes red and poofy, his lips quivering.

His phone rings. He dries his tears, he calms himself down. He answers the phone. "Hello?"

"Justin?" It is Heather. "How are you?"

"Oh...same as always..."

"I suddenly got a bad feeling in my stomach. Are you sure you're OK?" Heather's voice sounds concerned.

"I'm fine..."Justin sighs.

"Sorry about yesterday..." Heather's voice now sounds sheepish. "I know it was really rude of me to..."

"Don't worry about it." Justin smiles, though half heartedly.

"Hey...Justin?" Heather half smiles. "You hanging in there OK?"

"No..." Justin starts to tear up again. "It's...kind of getting to me, you know?"

"What is?"

"This whole not having a job thing..." Justin dries his eyes.

"Justin...Did you start feeling down today?" Heather's voice grows concerned. "Like, did you start telling yourself some bad things?"

"A little..." Justin sighs. "Nothing major though."

"Justin...I think you might be getting depression soon." Heather sighs. "It's the season, you know?"

"Nah, I'm fine Heather..."

"Justin, I've been there too, OK?" Heather's eyes are starting to get poofy and red. "I know what it's like. And I don't want you to feel that way, OK?"

"Heather..."

"I don't know what you've told yourself, but if it's anything like what I had to hear come out of my own mouth, then you need to know, Justin, that you are better than that. You are worth more than what you think you do..." Heather's tears fall down her cheeks. "You are so much better than that, Justin..."

"How do you know?"

"Because I was there too, Justin. I was there too, hating the fact that I couldn't get a job, that I was alone in the world. I felt like no one gave a rat's ass about me, that I wasn't worth the dirt I walked on." Heather is now sobbing openly.

"Please don't cry..."

"But I managed, Justin! I managed to get a job, to get an apartment! I did it..." Heather falls to her knees. "You can do it too..."

"I'm trying, Heather..."Justin is now crying. "But it seems like every day it just gets worse and worse..."

"I know it does..." Heather smiles, wiping her tears. "But it gets better..."

"I hope it does..."

"It does, I promise." Heather dries the last of her tears. "Know what you need? You need to go out and have fun."

"No money." Justin smirks then dries his tears.

"How about I take you out to a movie?" Heather smiles. "It'll be fun, I promise."

"I don't want to impose...and money's tight there days..."

"Nonsense, it will be fun!" Heather smiles. "What do you say, come on?"

Justin thinks for a second. "Ok, sure, why not?"

"Awesome! How about tomorrow? Since it's Friday, we won't have to worry about staying up so late!"

"Sure! See ya then!" And with that, Justin hangs up his phone, feeling better than ever.

Heather strongly suspects that, by making that call and planning that date, she has helped save Justin's life. She's right.


	8. Chapter 8

The Road Less Taken

Episode 8: Two dates

It is Friday night, and Courtney is with her husband Alejandro. They have just arrived at Chez Paris.

"Excuse me, my husband and I are party with one Kate Merryweather. I believe she has made a reservation?" Courtney smiles at the waiter.

"Ah yes, Kate Merryweather has indeed made a reservation, and has alerted the restaurant that it would be dinner for three." The waiter signals to Courtney and Alejandro. "This way please."

Chez Paris is a rather fancy french restaurant. The tables are decorated with fine white silk spreads, white napkins folded into small triangles, and a cristal vase with red roses on them. There are hundreds of tables, and the golden light emanating from the lamps gives the establishment a rather elegant atmosphere.

"Gee, this place looks expensive." Alejandro whispers to Courtney. "I feel like we're wasting a fortune just walking through it."

"I know sweetie, but don't worry. My boss is paying for everything tonight." Courtney grabs her husband's hand. "But...let's not abuse her charity, OK?"

"Sure, sure." Alejandro sighs to himself.

After a short walk, Courtney spots her boss. Kate smiles at the couple. "Please, do have a seat."

"Thank you, Ms Merryweather." Courtney graciously smiles at her boss. She is wearing a long, purple dress that shimmers. Alejandro himself wore a black tuxedo he had rented for the occasion. It costed him 135 dollars, a fact that greatly annoyed him.

"So...Mrs. Burromuerto...I am glad we could have this evening together." What neither Courtney nor Alejandro could imagine was that Kate was slightly relieved that Courtney had brought him along. However, this fact also annoyed Kate somewhat. "What I would like to talk to you about is your future in my law firm."

"I know..." Courtney was visibly slightly nervous. "Um...I really do enjoy my job, you know. I'm very happy for the opportunity to work..."

Alejandro would roll his eyes if he could.

"As you know, Mrs Burromuerto, I prefer to keep people around me that I can trust. Divorces are a messy business, lots of emotions involved, and what we need are people that have steel like resolve." Kate eyes Courtney up and down. It looks like she is measuring her, but in reality she is also admiring her beauty. "My question is, can I trust you?"

"Well." Courtney gulps. "Give me the chance, and you can see for yourself wether you can."

"Not too bad an answer." Kate looks Courtney in the eye. "But why should I risk it?"

"Well..." Courtney starts shaking.

"If I may interject." Alejandro speaks up. "Courtney works herself to the bone. Whereas other people might be content with just a nine to five that pays the bills, my wife gives it her all in all her work. She works every day, sparing no effort in her quest to climb those ladders. Ma'am, you have my personal guarantee that letting my wife climb those ladders will be one of the best decisions you will ever make."

There is a stunned silence on their table. Kate appears to be considering what Alejandro had just said. Courtney just stays stiff, unsure what to do or say. Alejandro looks uneasy.

"Excuse me, let me use the bathroom." Alejandro gets up and heads for the bathroom. He enters a stall, takes out his cell phone and dials Heather's number. "Please be there..."

Meanwhile...

"Oh my God, this movie is so bad!" Heather is laughing out loud alongside Justin at the scene in the movie.

"You are tearing me APART, Lisa!" This line causes raocous laughter all across the theater. Justin and Heather are laughing so hard that neither notice her cell phone ringing like crazy.

"Oh wow, this is one awful movie." Justin laughs out loud.

"I know! But it's so bad, it actually becomes good by how bad it is!" Heather laughs along with Justin.

There is more laughter had around the theater. There are no frowns, no tears save those from too much laughter.

Back at the restaurant...

"Damn it!" Alejandro angrily closes his cell phone. He sighs, trying to cool off before going back to his wife. "Heather...where are you?"

He gets out of the stall, suspiciously eyeing up the bathroom attendant. "What you looking at?"

"Nothing, sir." The attendant indignantly eyes Alejandro. He gets this sort of treatment every day. "May I interest you in a cologne before going back to the wife?"

"How did you know I was married?"

"Oh, I see this sort of thing all the time..." The attendant sighs. He hands Alejandro the cologne and watches him put some on. As soon as Alejandro leaves, he sneers. "Adulterers...I see them every day, and it never gets easier to stomach..."

Alejandro lets himself cool off for a minute longer before rejoining Kate and Courtney. He stis down back on his table, and notices that his wife is smiling.

"Did I miss something?"

"Well, mister Burromuerto, you'll be glad to know that your little speech has convinced me to keep Courtney around. She'll be handling her own cases from now on." Kate smiles as she watches Courtney hug Alejandro. However, she also seems somewhat jealous.

"Well...I knew this would happen." Alejandro smiles.

"Oh...but I'm afraid it comes with some bad news." Kate takes out a paper. "This is your first case, Courtney. I'm afraid I'll need you to start on it tomorrow."

"But tomorrow is Saturday..." Courtney sighs. "Well...if you say so."

"So..." Alejandro looks a bit annoyed. "More work?"

"I'm sorry honey..." Courtney reaches for her husbands hand.

"Hey it's OK." Alejandro picks up the menu. "You know, it's what you wanted and everything."

Kate frowns as she watches Courtney's dejected look. She clears her throat. "You know, if I may say a few words, I think a husband who supports his wife during her trials is a rarity these days. I have seen far, far too many divorces where one party claimed the other simply didn't make time for them."

"Well..." Alejandro is speechless, but then smirks. "Interesting story, but we don't need to worry about that. I stood by my wife while she was climbing those ladders."

"He has." Courtney chuckles nervously, but Kate seems unmoved.

Meanwhile...

"Wow...what a movie." Justin and Heather walk outside the movie theater. It is a clear evening, the moon shines bright.

"Yup. So bad, it's good.' Heather chuckles. "Oh my God, how about that sex scene, eh?"

"Yeah, it was daytime one minute, night time the next, and again daytime the minute after!" Justin chuckles. "Oh wow, that was some awful editing."

"Yeah..." Heather takes out her cellphone. "Oh wow, I didn't even notice someone had called. Let me check who it...oh..."

Heather's eyes widen as she sees Alejandro had called her.

"Everything OK, Heather?" Justin looks concerned.

"Oh...yeah...It was...um" Heather is shaking.

"Does this have anything to do with that thing you couldn't tell me about?" Justin raises an eyebrow. But his tone of voice is not at all accusatory, but concerned.

"Yeah." Heather stammers. Her eyes are darting around.

"Is it anything I can help you with?"

"No...It isn't. Don't worry about it...It's personal OK?"

Justin sighs. "If you say so...I guess you had better return that call..."

"I probably should..." Heather takes out her phone. "Um...Justin?"

"I'll stand over there, if that's what you want." Justin heads off to a streetlight, watching Heather dial a number. He is now out of hearing range.

Meanwhile...

Alejandro's phone starts ringing. He takes it out, sees the number, then gets up. "Pardon me...the boss..."

He heads towards the bathroom then answers his phone. "Heather?"

"Hi...um..." Heather gulps. "Did you call me?"

"Yeah...I wanted to hear your voice...It had gotten awkward here." Alejandro sighs. "I messed up big time. I opened my big mouth, and now Courtney has a bigger work load."

"Oh my God, that's awful!" Heather makes sure her voice is low enough that Justin can't hear her. "Poor Courtney..."

"Don't worry about her, she's ecstatic." Alejandro snorts. "She just LOVES working. Work work work, that's all she ever does. Seriously, why doesn't she just divorce me so she can marry her job?"

"Well...when does she start?"

"Tomorrow."

Heather gasps. "But it's Saturday!"

"Yeah, she just LOVES working!" Alejandro raises his voice slightly. "But it doesn't matter. Know what? How about we meet up tomorrow, for a lunch date?"

"Uh...ok..." Heather starts trembling. "What time?"

"How about 1 PM? We can avoid the lunch rush that way."

"Sure...where?"

"How about...That little diner down by Main?" Alejandro smiles.

"Ok..."

"See ya then." Alejandro hangs up his phone. He gets out of the stall he was in. He is now face to face with the attendant. "What?"

"You're cheating on your wife, aren't you?" The attendant glares at Alejandro.

"Keep talking, my wife's a lawyer and I'm smelling a slander lawsuit." Alejandro crosses his arms. "Get out of my way."

Alejandro walks past the attendant, who just sighs. The attendant walks towards the handwasher, turns it on, then splashes some water on his face. "When will you grow a spine, Cody?"


	9. Chapter 9

The Road Less Taken

Episode 9: A Saturday

The diner is busy, but much more empty than an hour ago, when the lunch rush was at its peak. Heather and Alejandro are seated in a corner, far from any windows.

"So my wife is just like 'wooo I got the job!' And I'm left there, grinning like a moron while my heart is just screaming 'what about me?'" Alejandro sighs. "It really isn't fair, Heather. It really, really isn't fair for me to just be expected to lose my wife to her job!"

"I'm sorry things are like this between the two of you." Heather touches Alejandro's shoulder. "I really am. I know what it's like to be lonely..."

"I'm sorry..." Alejandro sighs. "I'm putting my troubles on your shoulders. I don't want to burden you, you know? I just want someone to listen every now and again."

"That's what I'm here for..." Heather smiles, but her hand trembles. "I'm here for you."

"And you know what else? I'd like to, just once, hear someone say that they love me. It's been ages since Courtney's said it to me..." Alejandro sighs. "Some nights, I wonder if she still does..."

"Well...I don't know what to say..." Heather sighs. "If you were my husband, I wouldn't do what she's doing. I can't believe she's neglecting you like that!"

"I'm just so sick of everything..." Alejandro buries his head in his hands. "And you know, as if that wasn't enough, there's also my job, and bills that need to be paid, and a rent to pay off, and..augh!"

"Life sucks these days, doesn't it?" Heather sighs. "Get up everyday, make yourself something to eat unless you're late for work, in which case you go hungry..."

"Drive for half an hour under traffic..." Alejandro looks up at Heather.

"Get yelled at for coming in late." Heather touches Alejandro's hand.

"Spend the entire day slaving away..." Alejandro looks Heather in the eyes.

"Go home to an empty house..." Heather leans in for a kiss.

"And just...wait for the next day, to repeat the process all over again..." Alejandro and Heather share a kiss.

Meanwhile...

Courtney is reading through all the documents. She has been at it since nine in the morning. She looks at her watch, it is almost 2 in the afternoon. Her stomach is growling. :She picks up her cellphone and dials Alejandro's number. No answer.

"Weird...maybe he turned it off." Courtney sighs. "Gee, he must be taking a nap. Poor Al...he works so hard too...and he puts up with a wife who's hardly ever home...I'm an awful wife..."

Courtney looks down at her paperwork. "All I do is work, work, work."

She gets up. "What's it all for, anyway? Why is it that I need to put my marriage on hold so I could...what the hell am I even doing anyway?"

A knock on her office door. Courtney opens her door. It's Kate.

"Hellos Courtney. I was wondering, have you eaten yet?"

"Oh my God, I forgot to have lunch!" Courtney rushes to get her purse. She checks her watch. "Oh my God..."

"You know Courtney, working hard is fine, but if you overdo it, you'll die." Kate smirks. "And we all want you alive."

Courtney is speechless.

"Sorry, I have a bit of a dark sense of humor." Kate checks her watch. "But seriously, get something to eat. Lawyers need their strength. Remember, if anyone is ever locked up in a room with a shark, a tiger and a lawyer while they had a gun with only two bullets, they'd shoot the lawyer twice."

Courtney looks at Kate as if she's lost her mind. Kate clears her throat. "You know what I mean...Anyway, get some lunch."

"Yeah, good idea," Courtney gets up, grabs her purse, and walks out the door. She stops and looks at her cellphone. She dials her husband's number. No answer. "Guess he's really napping after all..."

Courtney walks away from the office. Her stomach growls. She looks at her watch. It is 2:31 PM.

"Courtney!" She turns around to a familiar voice.

"Justin, hi!" Courtney hugs Justin. "How are you?"

"I'm great. Yesterday, Heather and I went to see a movie!"

"Really? That's great!" Courtney smiles ear to ear. "Which one?"

"The Room." Justin chuckles. "She and I had a laugh riot during the movie. It was fun!"

"Sounds to me like things are looking up for you." Courtney pats Justin on the shoulder. "I mean, a date? That's fantastic. I'm happy to see your life getting better."

"Oh...well, technically it wasn't really a date..." Justin blushes. "But we did have fun..."

"Why wasn't it a date?"

"Well...she invited me...she saw I was sad and tried cheering me up." Justin sighs.

"Justin, it was a date. Maybe between friends, but still a date." Courtney chuckles. "Wait, Heather, from the show?"

"Yeah, her."

"Didn't know she lived in town..." Courtney looks at her watch. "Oh my God...I'm gonna miss my lunch..."

"At this hour?" Justin cocks an eyebrow. "And isn't it a Saturday? Why are you working?"

"Oh...part of my new job..." Courtney doesn't notice how Justin's eyes widen. "Got a promotion yesterday..."

"That's great!" Justin suddenly grabs Courtney and hugs her. "I'm so happy!"

"Thanks..." Courtney smiles. He was the second person to congratulate her, but the first with this much enthusiasm.

"Yeah I'm still looking for work. But with this much good news going on, I strongly suspect I'll find one soon enough!" Justin gives her a thumbs up.

"Yeah...Hey! I have an idea. If you and Heather ever start getting serious, the four of us should go on a double date!" Courtney smiles. "It'll be fun!"

"Well...we're not really dating..." Justin smiles sheepishly.

"But you'd like it if you did?" Courtney smiles deviously. "Then go get her! Ask her out someday!"

"Once I get a job..."

"No! Ask her out and take her to an activity that doesn't cost money! Take her to a walk in the park, to check out the ocean, something!" Courtney lightly smacks Justin upside the head. "If she won't take you when you don't have a dime, she won't deserve you when you're rich."

"Wow...maybe...yeah. OK, I will do it." Justin smiles. "I'll ask her out!"

"Good..." Courtney smiles back. "I got my own happy ending...You deserve yours too, Justin..."

"Thank you, Courtney..." Memories of past times flash through the back of his mind. He is reminded of how happy she made him back then. "Aren't you gonna get lunch?"

"Oh my God you're right!" Courtney turns around and leaves. "Take care!"

"Take care Courtney..." Justin whispers to her as he watches her leave. "You've always helped. Because of you I became a more worthwhile person...Even now, when you have no reason to, you still help me..."


End file.
